Methods for wireless sensing in integrated sensing and communications system

1 . A method, comprising:

performing, by a processor of an apparatus, a sweeping of a plurality of coarse receiving (Rx) beams for receiving one or more first reference signals (RSs) based on a first sensing RS configuration;

performing, by the processor, a sensing of a target object based on the first RSs, wherein the sensing of the target object based on the first RSs is performed on each sweeping of the coarse Rx beams to obtain a plurality of first sensing results associated with all first beam pair links (BPLs) between the coarse Rx beams and the coarse Tx beams, and the sensing of the target object comprises integrating the first sensing results to determine information related to the target object;

selecting, by the processor, one of the coarse Rx beams, corresponding to a strongest BPL among the first BPLs, for receiving one or more second RSs based on a second sensing RS configuration, wherein the second sensing RS configuration is determined by the apparatus or is received from another apparatus in an event that at least one of a sensing requirement and a channel condition is changed, and wherein the second RSs are transmitted on each of a plurality of fine Tx beams or on one of the coarse Tx beams, corresponding to the strongest BPL; and

performing, by the processor, the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs, wherein the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on the selected coarse Rx beam to obtain a plurality of second sensing results associated with all second BPLs between the selected coarse Rx beam and the fine Tx beams or associated with the strongest BPL, and the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs comprises integrating the second sensing results to determine the information related to the target object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing requirement is changed responsive to a sensing purpose switching from target detection to target tracking or refining.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first RSs or the second RSs are time-division multiplexed (TDMed), frequency-division multiplexed (FDMed), or TDMed and FDMed with communication signals; or the first RSs are TDMed with the communication signals and the second RSs are FDMed with the communication signals.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein in an event that the first RSs are TDMed with the communication signals and the second RSs are FDMed with the communication signals, the first RSs and the communication signals are allocated on a first component carrier (CC) in a first frequency range (FR) and the second RSs are allocated on a second CC in a second FR.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information related to the target object comprises at least one of:

information regarding at least one of a location, a velocity, and an angle of the target object;

information regarding whether an intrusion of the target object is detected within a range;

information regarding whether a respiration of the target object is detected; and

information regarding whether a gesture of the target object is detected.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing, by the processor, another sweeping of a plurality of fine Rx beams for receiving the second RSs transmitted on each of a plurality of fine Tx beams or on a single one of the coarse Tx beams, corresponding to a strongest BPL among the first BPLS,

wherein the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on each sweeping of the fine Rx beams to obtain a plurality of second sensing results associated with all second BPLs between the fine Rx beams and the fine Tx beams or between the fine Rx beams and the single one coarse Tx beam, and the sensing of the target object comprises integrating the second sensing results to determine the information related to the target object.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, one or more candidate BPLs from the first BPLs based on the first sensing results,

wherein the first sensing results comprise reference signal received power (RSRP) or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values, the second sensing RS configuration is determined based on the first sensing results, and the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on one or more Rx beams corresponding to or adjacent to the one or more candidate BPLs.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, an Rx beam for receiving the first RSs or the second RSs transmitted on a Tx beam of the apparatus or another apparatus based on location information and orientation information of at least one of the apparatus and the other apparatus,

wherein the sensing of the target object based on the first RSs or the second RSs is performed on the selected Rx beam to obtain one or more sensing results, and the sensing of the target object based on the first RSs or the second RSs comprises integrating the sensing results to determine information related to the target object.

9 . A method, comprising:

performing, by a processor of an apparatus, a sweeping of a plurality of coarse receiving (Tx) beams for transmitting one or more first reference signals (RSs) associated with a first sensing RS configuration for a sensing of a target object, wherein the first RSs are transmitted to be received on each of a plurality of coarse receiving (Rx) beams, and the sensing of a target object based on the first RSs is performed on each sweeping of the coarse Rx beams to obtain a plurality of first sensing results associated with all first beam pair links (BPLs) between the coarse Rx beams and the coarse Tx beams, and the sensing of the target object comprises integrating the first sensing results to determine information related to the target object;

selecting, by the processor, one of the coarse Tx beams, corresponding to a strongest BPL among the first BPLs, for transmitting one or more second RSs associated with a second sensing RS configuration for the sensing of the target object, wherein the second sensing RS configuration is determined by the apparatus or is transmitted to another apparatus in an event that at least one of a sensing requirement and a channel condition is changed, and wherein the second RSs are transmitted on each of a plurality of fine Tx beams or on one of the coarse Tx beams, corresponding to the strongest BPL, and the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on each sweeping of the fine Rx beams or on the one coarse Rx beam to obtain a plurality of second sensing results associated with all second BPLs between the selected coarse Tx beam and the fine Rx beams or associated with the strongest BPL, and the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs comprises integrating the second sensing results to determine the information related to the target object.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the sensing requirement is changed responsive to a sensing purpose switching from target detection to target tracking or refining.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first RSs or the second RSs are time-division multiplexed (TDMed), frequency-division multiplexed (FDMed), or TDMed and FDMed with communication signals; or the first RSs are TDMed with the communication signals and the second RSs are FDMed with the communication signals.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein in an event that the first RSs are TDMed with the communication signals and the second RSs are FDMed with the communication signals, the first RSs and the communication signals are allocated on a first component carrier (CC) in a first frequency range (FR) and the second RSs are allocated on a second CC in a second FR.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the information related to the target object comprises at least one of:

information regarding at least one of a distance, a velocity, and an angle of the target object;

information regarding whether an intrusion of the target object is detected within a range;

information regarding whether a respiration of the target object is detected; and

information regarding whether a gesture of the target object is detected.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

performing, by the processor, another sweeping of a plurality of fine Tx beams for transmitting the second RSs to be received on each of a plurality of fine Rx beams or on a single one of the coarse Rx beams, corresponding to a strongest BPL among the first BPLs;

wherein the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on each sweeping of the fine Rx beams to obtain a plurality of second sensing results associated with all second BPLs between the fine Tx beams and the fine Rx beams or between the fine Tx beams and the single one coarse Rx beam, and the sensing of the target object comprises integrating the second sensing results to determine the information related to the target object.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, one or more candidate BPLs from the first BPLs based on the first sensing results,

wherein the first sensing results comprise reference signal received power (RSRP) or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values, the second sensing RS configuration is determined based on the first sensing results, and the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on one or more Rx beams corresponding to or adjacent to the one or more candidate BPLs.

16 . An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver which, during operation, wirelessly transmits and receives signals; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver such that, during operation, the processor performs operations comprising:

performing, via the transceiver, a sweeping of a plurality of coarse receiving (Rx) beams for receiving one or more first reference signals (RSs) based on a first sensing RS configuration;

performing a sensing of a target object based on the first RSs, wherein the sensing of the target object based on the first RSs is performed on each sweeping of the coarse Rx beams to obtain a plurality of first sensing results associated with all first beam pair links (BPLs) between the coarse Rx beams and the coarse Tx beams, and the sensing of the target object comprises integrating the first sensing results to determine information related to the target object;

selecting one of the coarse Rx beams, corresponding to a strongest BPL among the first BPLs, for receiving, via the transceiver, one or more second RSs based on a second sensing RS configuration, wherein the second sensing RS configuration is determined by the apparatus or is received from another apparatus in an event that at least one of a sensing requirement and a channel condition is changed, and wherein the second RSs are transmitted on each of a plurality of line Tx beams or on one of the coarse Tx beams, corresponding to the strongest BPL; and

performing the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs, wherein the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs is performed on the selected coarse Rx beam to obtain a plurality of second sensing results associated with all second BPLs between the selected coarse Rx beam and the fine Tx beams or associated with the strongest BPL, and the sensing of the target object based on the second RSs comprises integrating the second sensing results to determine the information related to the target object.